The visa trade which has been a subject for wide ranging discussions and how to rid the society of this phenomenon has over the past few days has once again returned to haunt the authorities after partially vanishing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Interior and the Public Authority for Manpower has been constantly warning against this scourge and despite the referral of hundreds of those involved in the visa trade to the judiciary the social media and WhatsApp applications are abuzz with new advertisements offering visas for sale and the price ranging between 1,500 and 2,300 dinars depending on various factors, reports a local Arabic daily.
Moreover, responsible sources have warned of the recent resurgence of the random employment phenomenon — despite the shortage of craftsmen, which requires urgent intervention from the concerned state authorities so that the phenomenon does not escalate as it was before the pandemic.
It is noticed on social networking sites the Syrians and the Sudanese sending requests for visas to work in Kuwait, whatever the value of the visa. Despite the difficulty of Syrians entering the country, the monitored offers on social media about the availability of visas, but at high prices, sometimes reaching 5,000 dinars.
As for the most advertisements on social media platforms showing availability of visas or the transfer of residence, they are for Egyptians, via fake accounts inside Kuwait or on Egyptian WhatsApp numbers announcing the availability of visa services.
On the other hand, informed sources considered that the 80-day window granted by the Ministry of Interior to the expatriates abroad is sufficient to organize and arrange their affairs and return to their workplaces.
After more than two years, the Ministry of the Interior re-activated the law for the revocation of Article 18 work permits of expatriates if they stay outside Kuwait for more than 6 months.
The outbreak of the Corona virus had caused the suspension of this law, as many expatriates who renewed their residencies benefited from it as they were permitted to renew their work permits online.
The Ministry of Interior had revealed in a statement the day before yesterday that the 6-month calculation period starts from May 1 and ends at the beginning of next November, that is, it gave those outside the country an opportunity of 80 days to return to the country.
The sources confirmed that the decision will reflect positively on the labor market, which has recently been suffering from a shortage of some jobs and professions.